Rail retaining key



R. FARIES ET AL RAIL RETAINING KEY Flled Nov 11 1951 FZG [M WITNESSES:

Sept, 12, 11933,

Patented Sept. 12, 1933 PATENT OFFICE RAIL RETAINING KEY Robert Faries, St. Davids, and Charles D. Young, Haverford, Pa.

. Application November 11, 1931 Serial No. 574,315

7 Claims.

Our invention relates to rail retaining keys and more particularly to a resilient key designed for use in combination with a rail and a special form of tie plate as a means for either limiting or resisting vertical movement between the latter elements. In using the term tie plate herein, we mean to include any type of plate or foundation upon which the base of a rail is adapted to rest or to be secured.

One object of the invention is tot provide a retaining key which when used in combination with a particular form of tie plate will enable rails to be quickly and readily assembled upon the tie plates and to be removed with equal facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide rail retaining keys and tie plates which are of simple and inexpensive manufacture, and yet which, when used in association with each other according to the practice of the invention, effectively serve to limit or resist vertical movement of the rails to which they are applied. Still another object of the invention is to take advantage of the inherent resiliency of a rail retaining key in causing the same to become locked or caught upon a tie plate in a manner such as to prevent dislodgment incident to service in track.'

Further objects and advantages characteristic of our invention will become more apparent from the description hereinafter of'an embodiment or example thereof, the description having reference to the accompanying drawing. Of the drawing:

Fig. I represents a plan view of a rail, a tie plate and retaining keys of our invention, the rail being in horizontal section to show the parts more clearly. I

Fig. II represents a vertical cross-section of the same, taken as indicated by the lines IIII of Fig. I.

Fig. III represents an enlarged bottom view of a portion of the tie plate showing the manner in which a retaining'key is locked therein.

Fig. IV represents a longitudinal section of a portion of the tie plate, taken as indicated by the lines IV--IV of Fig. I; and,

Fig. V represents a perspective view of a retaining key.

There is shown in the drawing a portion of a rail 1 of standard form having a base or flange 2 resting upon a tie plate 3. The tie plate 3 is in turn secured to an underlying tie 4 by screw spikes 5 of a conventional form, the heads of which bear upon fiat bosses 6. However, the particular means for fastening the tie plate 3 to the underlying tie 4 does not constitute a part of our invention, and may obviously be varied to suit diil'erent conditions.

The tie plate 3 is formed with upstanding ribs 7, between which the rail base 2 is accommodated, and which serve as stops preventing lateral movement of the rail. Adjacent to the upstanding ribs 7 a slot 8 is formed at each side of the tie plate 3. The .slot 8 is rectangular in shape at the top surface of the tie plate, as indicated at 9, and broadens toward the bottom of the tie plate, undergoing a transition from rectangular to circular shape, as indicated at 10. At the inclined walls 11 of the slot 8, semi-circular recesses 12 are formed in opposed relation to each other. At the top surface of the tie plate 3 and 79 beyond the slots 8, abutments 13 in the form of longitudinal ribs are provided.

The rail retaining keys 14, 14a are made from a flat bar of resilient material and of uniform thickness, and are bent to form open spring loops 15 at their central portions, which are adapted to be inserted within the slots 8 and turned to a position transverse to the rail. The inner ends 16, 16a of the retaining keys 14, 14a, when the keys are assembled in place,project above the 8 rail base 2, either in contact with the rail base, as shown at the left hand of Fig. II, toresist vertical movement of the rail with respect to the tie plate 3, or clear of the rail base and resting on a rib 7, as shown at the right hand of Fig. II, to serve as a stop limiting the vertical movement of the rail to a predetermined distance. While for the purpose of illustrating alternative arrangements, the key 14 shown at the right hand of the figure is formed to assume one position with relation to the rail, whereas the retaining key 14a shown at theleft hand is formed to assume a different position, it will be understood that in the ordinary practice of the invention, the same condition will exist at both sides of the rail. At its outer end17, each retaining key 14, 14a is bent downward to engage one of the longitudinal abutments 13 on the surface of the tie plate.

To apply a retaining key, considering for example the key lshown at the right hand of the drawing, to a tie plate 3, the key is inserted within the slot 8 with its ends 16, 17 extending in a longitudinal direction, as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. I. In this position the spring loop 15 fits within the rectangular opening 9 at the top of the slot 8 permitting the key to drop downward until the spring loop 15 engages or approaches the top of the tie at the underside of the tie plate 3. Thereupon the spring key 14 is turned through an angle of until it assumes the position shown in full lines. Incident to the turning of the key 14, the spring loop 15 is compressed by virtue of the shape of the inclined walls 11 of the slot 8. When the key 14 has reached its ultimate position transverse to the rail 1, projections 18 on the loop portion 15 catch within the recesses 12, as shown in Fig..II, and oppose further turning of the key. At the same time the outer end 17 engages the abutment 13 on the top surface of the tie plate 3, and the inner end 16 engages the rib 7 and projects above the rail base 2 and clear therefrom. The compression of the spring loop 15, incident to the turning of the retaining key 14, causes both the inner and outer ends 16 and 17 of the key to be maintained in pressure engagement respectively with the rib '7 and the top surface of the tie plate 3.

The manner of applying the key 14a shown at the left hand of Figs. I and 11 is similar to that described above, except that its inner end 16a is maintained in pressure engagement with the rail base 2, and the retaining key is out of contact with the rib 7. When so applied to the tie plate 3, the retaining keys 14, 14a will not be dislodged incident to the normal vibration or movement of the rail, for the forces exerted thereby, and which tend primarily to lift the inner ends 16,16a of the keys, rather than to turn the same, are adequately resisted by the locking engagement of the projections 18 within the recesses 12 at the side walls of the slots 8. Moreover, any tendency to lift the inner ends '16, 16a of the retaining keys 14, 14a causes a further compression of the spring loops 15, which in turn causes their outer ends 1'7 to bear with increased pressure upon the top surface of the tie plate. To remove the retaining key 14, 14a, it is merely necessary to pinch together the elements of the spring loop 15, freeing the projections 18 from the recesses 12, and thereafter to turn the key to a position parallel to the rail 1, and to raise it clear of the tie plate 3.

From the above description it will be noted that the retaining keys and tie places of this invention are of simple and inexpensive manufacture and are readily assembled and disassembled. Under certain conditions it may be desirable to apply the retaining keys with their inner ends in pressure engagement with the rails, in which case they operate as rail fasteners, preventing or resisting any movement between the rails and tie plates, and under other conditions it may be found desirable to utilize the retaining keys as stops, not in actual contact with a rail, but limiting the extent of its vertical movement.

While we have described one example of the practice of our invention, with reference to a particular form of retaining key and tie plate, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the shape of these parts as herein described, without departing from the spirit of our invention which contemplates a variety of forms for these parts.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In combination, a rail, 2. tie plate having a slot therethrough, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to beinserted within said slot and turned to a position transverse to the rail with the inner end of said key projecting above the rail base, and with the outer end engaging the top surface of the tie plate, said slot being so formed that the turning of the key thereon compraises said spring loop, whereby the outer end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with said tie plate to resist dislodgment of the key. I

2. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to be accommodated within said slot with the inner end of said key projecting above the rail base transverse thereto, and with the outer end engaging the top surface of the tie plate, said slot being so formed as to require the key to be inserted at an angle from said transverse position, and said slot being so formed that the turning of the retaining key therein to said transverse position compresses said spring loop, whereby the outer end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with said tie plate to resist dislodgment of the key.

3. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough broadening toward the bottom of the tie plate and having a recess in the walls of said slot, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to be inserted within said slot and turned to a position transverse to the rail with the inner end of said key projecting above the rail base, and with the outer and engaging the top surface of the tie plate, said spring loop having a projection thereon adapted to catch in the recess in the walls of said slot when the key is so turned, and said slot being so formed that the turning of the retaining key therein compresses said spring loop, whereby the outer end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with said tie plate to resist dislodgment of the key.

4. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough changingin shape from the top surface of the tie plate toward the bottom of the tie plate, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to be inserted within said slot and turned to a position transverse to the rail with the spring loop compressed by the walls of said slot' incident to the turning of the key, and with the inner end of said key projecting above the rail base and the outer end of said key maintained by virtue of the compression of said spring loop in pressure engagement with the top surface of the tie plate.

5. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough, said slot being rectangular at the top surface of the tie plate and broadening toward the bottom of the tie plate, and having an abutment on the top surface adjacent to said slot, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to be inserted within said slot and turned to a position transverse to the rail with the spring loop compressed by the walls of said slot incident to the turning of the key, and with the inner end of said key projecting above-the rail base and the outer end of said key maintained by virtue of the compression of said spring loop in pressure engagement with the abutment on the tie plate.

6. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough, and a retaining key having a spring loop adapted to be inserted within said slot and turned to a position transverse to the rail with the inner end of said key in contact with the rail base and with the outer end in contact with the top surface of the tie plate, said slot being so formed that the turning of the key therein 145 compresses said spring loop, whereby the inner end of said keyis maintained in pressure engagement with the rail base and the outer end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with the top surface of said tie plate.

that the turning of the key therein compresses said spring loop, whereby the inner end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with the said rib and the outer end of said key is maintained in pressure engagement with the top surface of said tie plate.

ROBERT FARIES.

CHARLES D. YOUNG. 

